Little Bird
by Leannamiko
Summary: Family tradition gives one girl a chance of freedom, and an opportunity to escape the cruel path that has been planned for her. (First story, I am trying not to make this a Mary-Sue. Constructive criticism is welcome.) On Hold


A word of warning before you begin, this is my first story ever seen by the public so it may lack... a lot. Please send me a message after you are done with things that you think I could do better (and how would be very nice).

I do believe I am supposed to put something here about not owning this.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the girl with no name, this universe belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

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Looking out over the small ballroom, there is no one on the dance floor but I can see them in my mind; twirling and smiling, sparkling and shining while they glide across the polished floor. Here, now there is no one. I am alone. I breathe deeply and place my hand on the rail readying myself to descend the long curved staircase to the barely lit hall below.

On the first step I think of my dress, the white satin ball gown covered from head to toe in gold and diamonds. A dress made to wear once though it has taken years of planning and months of measuring. By the third step my attention shifts to my nails, in the morning they would be painted in gold and littered with gems to match the ensemble. From the rings on my fingers to the tiara on my head the ornate gold set made to show the audience how much I am worth. Halfway down the stairway and I feel my hair brush my thighs, tomorrow it will be curled and pinned as to cascade down my back and hold the tiny ornaments in place. I approach the bottom of the stair and I turn my mind the guests, whom I will never again see, for this small mercy I thank the gods though I suspect they stopped listening long ago. I think of the ceremony, the one that will bind my life to a monsters'. I reach the ground and collapse as my mind turns to my fiancé; to call him a dragon is an insult to the mighty beings. He may roar and cause much destruction but his power is not his own: his power is the marines with blood as the only thing supporting him.

This is my last night alone, as is the tradition of my family the bride must spend the evening before her wedding alone in the ballroom. With nearly every exit covered I know an attempt at escape would be unwise, nearly all the girls that are sent in here try anyway. I know that is also part of the tradition. No food, no water and only the light from the glass dome that serves as a roof; more than one has died while attempting to climb out of those windows. It is really no surprise that a girl would fall, we are all dressed in a pure white gown that reaches our ankles with no shoes or hair ties in sight.

I will be the first.

I will be the first to escape, to forage my own path because this is what I have been waiting for. For months I have played the part of the perfect bride to be, giggling and blushing on command, holding my opinions and thoughts back. From the time I was told I would be that _monsters'_ bride I had been planning my escape, preparing and packing for it as well. Needless to say I had been planning for a long while.

"I am strong." I whisper as I rise, shaking, to my feet. I rush to the alcove hidden behind a potted plant, with a sharp push the panel slid back slightly and slipped to the side, I wince at the light click when it stops, revealing my soft leather satchel. I strip off my gown and throw it in the hole, pulling out the clothing I had packed months ago for tonight. Slipping on the long sleeve shirt and the shorts, I secure them with a belt; I leave my boots tied to the bag. Flipping my hair out of the shirt I bind it into a messy braid and tie it out of the way. Finally I remove the length of rope and throw the satchels' strap up over my head to secure it on my shoulder.

I breathe deeply and look up to see the moon directly overhead, realizing how much time I had spent in my thoughts I ran up the stairs and tie one end of the rope into a noose. It really is amazing what a slave will teach you if you just ask nicely. Tucking the rope securely into my belt I start to climb up the pillar; I can't help but smile as I remember how long it took to convince my father I was scare if heights, but now that I'm here the 'fainting' and 'fits' all seem worth it. After all, why would he place guards on the roof if I was afraid to stand on my own balcony. I continue to climb the pillar though my arms are already feeling sore but I'm quickly approaching the top, with only a little sliding, thankful I brought shorts as the skin on my legs is sticking to the pillar and helping to keep me steady. With my legs locked around the pillar I grasp the window latch and flip it open, my heart soars as the cool air washes over me. Reaching outside and over the ledge I run my fingers along the small railing, making sure it is steady and intact; retrieving the rope if difficult with one hand but I manage. I slip the noose over the spear shaped top giving it a short tug to secure it; I wrap my hands around the rope and position it in front of me. '_I am strong'_ I think to myself and untangle my legs from around the pillar.

I move my feet to squeeze the rope between them and slowly push myself up. My head is peaking out the window as I transfer my left hand on the solid window frame mimicked by my right hand a moment later; transferring my weight from my feet to my arms I push my body up. My arms shake but manage to lift me out of the window to rest on the frame behind me. Panting, I stand and move quickly to the other side of the rail; I wined the rope up to reattach to my belt and shut the window. Staying low I move across the slightly slanted roof, reaching the gap between the ballroom roof and the wall that surrounds the manor and I hold my breath to listen. I listen to the guard, snoring.

_'I know I'm not supposed to get caught but really, to have someone sleep through your fantastic escape is slightly depressing'. _I sigh and back up a few steps to get a running start. I take off and throw myself across the gap; landing on my feet I am propelled forward onto my side against the wall. Pulling myself to my feet I wince at the pain in my shoulder and glance at the sleeping guard. I roll my eyes and grin as he is completely undisturbed by my landing. Turning back to the forest, more importantly the vines, I climb over the edge and start my decent. My arms burn and the rough bark digs into my feet but I repeat '_I am strong'_ over in my head like a prayer, once for every step.

I reach the ground panting: the wind pushes a few strands of hair loose as I move around a tree to put the rest of my clothing on. First I untie my shoes and slip them on, wincing as they pushed past the newly forming bruises; I quickly pull my cloak from the bag and wrap it over myself, drawing the hood up to hide my face. Last of all I retrieve a bottle of water from the bottom of the bag and take a long drink. I rush to put it away and start the trek to the other side of the island, the large port town I never bothered to learn the name of.

It is late summer but the wind already cuts into me, stealing my warmth, but I cannot afford to stop as the moon is half descended and I am till to close. I jog for awhile, than walk until I catch my breath. I am careful to avoid tree roots and branches but the streams and small cliffs take up valuable time and much of my energy.

The sun is high by the time I stumble to the edge of town, my absence has been noticed but it would seem the news has yet to reach the town. I drink the last of my water and eat a couple of pieces of fruit as I sit at the base of a tree while remaining mostly hidden from view. I drop the last core into the bush beside me and wipe my hands on my shorts, grinning widely all the while. I circle the town to enter by the south gate instead of the west as the west road leads to the manors' east gate, the only thing in the south were a few small, mostly nameless, villages. When the guards came to looking for her they would check the west first.

I move through the forest until I reach a side rode that the towers can't see down and check that the road is empty before squaring my shoulders.

With one last deep breath and a whisper of _'I am strong',_ I walked onto the road.


End file.
